Hull City

Leeds United will look to retain their place at the top of the Championship table when they visit struggling Hull City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

A point would be enough to see them stay at the summit but having conceded a late equaliser against Blackburn Rovers just two minutes after taking the lead, Leeds will be hoping to bounce back quickly.

Hull suffered defeat in injury time on 1 January as Middlesbrough's Alex Gilbert scored from close range to leave them 22nd in the table.

• Hull City have won just one of their last 11 league meetings with Leeds United (D3 L7), a 2-0 win at Elland Road in December 2018.

• Leeds United have recorded a clean sheet on each of their last four away league trips to face Hull City (W2 D2), never before keeping five straight on the road against a single opponent.

• Following a 2-1 win over Swansea before Christmas, Hull City will be aiming to win back-to-back home matches on a Saturday in the Championship for the first time since February 2024 against Cardiff and Millwall.

• Leeds United will be aiming to win three consecutive away league games for the first time since winning their first four such matches of 2024 between January and February.

• Leeds United are unbeaten in each of their last 16 Yorkshire derbies in the league (W12 D4) with the Whites winning more points in such fixtures since the beginning of last season in the EFL than any of their Yorkshire rivals (25).

Image source, PA Media

Ruben Selles hailed the reaction he got from Ryan Longman after the winger scored the winner at Blackburn as a substitute.

Longman had been taken off after 55 minutes of the Boxing Day defeat at Preston North End and started on the bench at Ewood Park before going on to score his first Tigers goal in over two years.

Selles told BBC Radio Humberside: "Ryan was very upset after the last game because he didn't have a very good game and wanted to make a point going onto the pitch.

"It was not only the goal, he was all over the place running, pressing, getting people one-on-one, commanding the team, running back - that's the kind of mentality we need.

"I'm happy because the effort is really good from that dressing room. Everyone is fighting really hard to get results for the club. We have a good platform and hopefully it's the beginning of a good run away from home."

Mike White
BBC Radio Humberside

Image source, Rex Features

What do Hull need?

Goals, goals, goals - it's that simple. Hull are among the lowest scorers in the Championship and their leading scorer has four goals.

They need strikers of quality but they're often near impossible to find in January, especially for a team looking to fight off the threat of relegation.

Are they likely to do any business?

Owner Acun Ilicali and sporting director Jared Dublin both recently indicated that new boss Ruben Selles would be backed so expect some movement, but they'll have to try to move on some of the players who aren't fitting in with what they're wanting to do. Again, that's easier said than done.

Despite an agreement in place with Reading after tempting Selles away, might the financially-troubled Berkshire club be tempted to part with the likes of Lewis Wing or Harvey Knibbs if the price is right?

How successful have they been in recent January windows?

Depends on your definition of success. They signed the likes of Fabio Carvalho on-loan from Liverpool last season and he was a key figure with nine goals in his 20 appearances in the run-in to a campaign that saw them finish just one place outside the play-offs.

However, that wasn't enough to keep then-boss Liam Rosenior in a job and the decline since then has been well-documented with the knock-on effect immeasurable.

Are there likely to be any notable departures?

There may have been under Tim Walter, who had seemingly not endeared himself to some of the bigger characters and influential figures at the club, but as he is no longer there, that seems unlikely now.

That said, the summer recruitment wasn't near good enough and they'll have to try to offload some of the players who aren't getting it done in an attempt to free up budget and squad space for a January recruitment effort that is badly needed.

How key is the window?

Season-defining. They're in a perilous position and after going so long without a win before their pre-Christmas victory over Swansea, the Tigers are facing a predicament similar to the one they found themselves in at the back end of the 2019-20 season when they were relegated to League One.

Then, under the previous ownership, the finances were managed in a way that was ultimately sustainable and they got back up at the first time of asking.

With the often extravagant expenditure under Ilicali, a lot of it on failed transfer activity, the fallout could be far more grim if they were to drop to the third tier for a second time in five years.

Blackburn Rovers welcome Hull City to Ewood Park on Sunday as promotion hopefuls face relegation battlers.

An own goal proved the difference-maker between the two sides in Hull earlier this month, with Rovers the winners then.

Three points here would prove helpful to each club in different ways, with the Tigers currently 22nd in the table and fighting to avoid the drop while Blackburn are fifth and hunting for a play-off spot.

• Blackburn have only lost two of their last 13 home league games against Hull (W8 D3) but did lose 2-1 last season under Jon Dahl Tomasson.

• Hull City are looking to win consecutive league visits to Blackburn for the first time ever, with this their 32nd trip to Ewood Park in the EFL.

• Blackburn have lost their final league game in five of the last six years (W1), including a 3-2 defeat to Hull in 2023.

• Hull have won their final league game of the year in each of the last two years – they haven't done so in three in a row since doing so between 1981 and 1984 (4).

• John Eustace has won both of his away Championship matches against Hull City (one with Birmingham, one with Blackburn) but has lost his only home game against the Tigers, in December 2022 with the Blues.

Image source, Getty Images

Hull City manager Ruben Selles reacts to his side's 1-0 defeat against Preston North End at Deepdale:

"We created situations to score at least one goal and then in one moment we went 1-0 down and never recovered in terms of the score. I think we were competitive enough."

"We created situations, it's not just the situation with Regan (Slater) after five minutes. We created other situations and we need to make it count, but we created the situations so we just need to work on the details.

"You come away from difficult games in difficult competitions and first of all we need to be competitive and second of all we need to win football matches.

"Without being competitive we are not going to win games. We need to continue developing that competitiveness and in games like today, when we have the opportunities, we have to make it count and then we'll be in a better place.

"We have to try to not make excuses. We know we can do things. Now we have to do it to the very end."

Preston North End welcome Hull City to Deepdale for a key clash in the bottom half of the table.

Ruben Selles takes charge of his fourth game for the Tigers as he looks to build on Saturday's victory when Hull beat Swansea City.

Visitors Preston are 18th in the Championship table and four points better off than Hull, but with just one win in their past five games.

• Preston North End have not scored in any of their last four league games against Hull City, although they have also only conceded one goal themselves during that time (D3 L1).

• The last two league games between Preston and Hull at Deepdale have ended goalless, more than in the first 30 games between the sides in Preston (one in 1983).

• Preston North End won on Boxing Day last year against Leeds United, beating them 2-1. They last won on consecutive years on December 26 in 2013 (1-0 vs. Carlisle) and 2014 (1-0 vs. Barnsley).

• Hull's only win in their last six Boxing Day matches was away at Preston back in 2018 under Nigel Adkins (D2 L3).

• Preston's Paul Heckingbottom is unbeaten in his last three league meetings with Hull (W2 D1) since losing 1-0 with Barnsley in October 2017.

Image source, Getty Images

Hull City boss Ruben Selles has admitted he was "hard" on his side during half-time on Saturday in the Tigers' 2-1 victory over Swansea City.

Mason Burstow's goal 10 minutes from time gave Hull their first win in 13 matches and lifted Selles' new side out of the relegation zone.

"I think I was pretty hard on them, but we are learning to cope with each other and the way we navigate through situations," Selles told BBC Radio Humberside ahead of Hull's Boxing Day fixture at Preston North End.

"But they know now that there are some non-negotiables that we need to do and we need to do no matter what is the score, we need to be ourselves - that is the most important thing for me."

The 41-year-old also hinted that the Tigers would be looking to sign a new midfielder in January after Kasey Palmer limped off during Hull's defeat at Coventry on 14 December with an injury which looks likely to keep him out for the foreseeable future.

"When we know what we are looking for, if it is going to be more than six weeks, I think that can be something to consider in the market, yes," Selles added.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Josh Tymon heads home to Hull this weekend believing there is more to come from him at Swansea City this season.

Tymon has featured in every Swansea game in 2024-25 bar the win over Watford in early November, when he was missing through suspension.

The left-back has nailed down a regular place under Luke Williams – but wants to bring more to the Swansea side as the campaign goes on, beginning with Saturday's Championship game against the Tigers.

Tymon described his form this season as a "bit of a mixed bag", adding: "I haven't really been at my best at times. Some games I've looked my best and then dipped off.

"One of my biggest strengths is to put good quality into the box for our forward players and, at times this season, it has not been there.

"I am always working on my defensive stuff which has got a lot better since last season. But I have to keep on working."

Tymon, 25, arrived at Swansea from Stoke City in the summer of 2023, six years after joining the Potters from Hull City.

Born and raised in Hull, Tymon signed for his local club at the age of 12 and made his senior Tigers debut when aged just 16.

Image source, Getty Images

He made 14 appearances for Hull - including five in the Premier League - before leaving for Stoke, and says a trip back to Humberside is always a special game.

"It's the place where I was born and a lot of my family still are now," he said.

"I spent a long time at the club, right through the academy to being the lucky one to make my debut there.

"I always look for this fixture when it comes around, more so because of how many tickets I will have to find."

Tymon has he enjoyed his returns to Hull, having won there twice with Stoke and again with Swansea last season.

"As players going back to get former clubs, you get some sort of abuse," he said.

"That's part of football. You can either fold or you can embrace it.

"Luckily for me I have been on winning sides every time I have been back there, so it's a nice feeling. I want to see Hull doing well but obviously when I am playing them, I want to do the best for my team."

Image source, Rex Features

Hull City midfielder Kasey Palmer has had tests and a scan on an ankle injury - but head coach Ruben Selles is hopeful he could be fit to play against Swansea in the Championship on Saturday.

The Jamaica international was forced off in the second half of last weekend's 2-1 defeat by Coventry.

"On Monday the pain in the ankle was still there so he's had some tests, a scan and seen a specialist - we are hoping he could be back on the grass," Selles told BBC Radio Humberside.

"There's a suggestion there could be something more serious, that's why we need to be pretty sure what the next step is because sometimes you can carry on and play and sometimes you need time off, so that's why we are seeing a specialist."

Palmer joined the Tigers from Coventry for an undisclosed fee in August and has scored one goal in eight league starts.

"Kasey is a good player for the level but we can't make excuses and if he's not ready somebody will step onto the pitch ready to fight for the team," added Selles.

Hull City are bottom of the Championship, with Selles replacing Tim Walter as head coach earlier this month.

Bottom side Hull City are still searching for their first win under new boss Ruben Selles following a 1-1 draw with Watford and a 2-1 defeat at Coventry.

The Tigers are two points from safety but have played a game more than three of the four sides above them - and two more than Portsmouth.

Swansea, who are 10th, have lost just one of their past five (W2 D2) and are seven points behind the play-off spots heading into the weekend.

• Hull City have won just one of their past nine league games against Swansea City (D5 L3) and have failed to win any of their past four against the Welsh side.

• Swansea have won just one of their past six away league games against Hull City (D2 L3), though it did come on their most recent visit in February 2024 during a 1-0 success.

• Hull have failed to win any of their past 13 league games (D4 L9) and the Tigers last endured a longer run between March and August 2002 when they were in the fourth tier (15 games).

• Swansea have failed to win any of their past three league games against sides from Yorkshire (D1 L2), the club's longest streak since a run of six matches between January and September 2022.

• Swansea are the only side in the Championship so far this season not to score a headed goal, while Hull have conceded the most headed goals (7).